Collapsible basket



Patented Feb. 12, 1952 COLLAPSIBLE BASKET Charles C. Averill, Albion,Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Application October 31, 1949, Serial No. 124,659

9 Claims. (01. 220-6) This invention relates to improvements incollapsible baskets.

The main objects of thisinvention are:

First, to provide a collapsible basket which is well adapted for use asa clothes basket and may be easily and compactly collapsed and quicklyand easily erected and when erected is effectively maintained in erectedposition.

Second, to provide a structure having these advantages which may bedragged along on the floor or ground, the contents being supported outof contact with the surface.

Third, to provide a structure having these advantages which while madeentirely of metal is comparatively light in weight, the parts beingarranged so that they are strong and capable of withstanding quite heavyloads such as wet laundry, for example.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appearfrom the description to follow. The invention is pointed out in theclaims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational of a basket embodying my invention inerected position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical section on a linecorresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 4., the parts being shown in fullyerected position by full lines, the swinging manipulation of the bottombeing indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on a line corresponding to line 44 ofFig. 1.

'Fig. 5 is a plan view of the basket when collapsed.

The embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawing,comprises side walls designated generally by the numerals l--! and endWalls designated generally by the numerals 2----?.. The side walls leach comprise a border frame 3 having integral top and bottom members 4and 5 and end members 6. These border frames are desirably formedintegrally of light red stock. The top border member a is longer thanthe bottom border member 5 thereby providing the desired taper. The wireslats l are welded to the outer sides of the top and bottom bordermembers as indicated at 8 in Fig. 3.

Each side wall is preferably provided with longitudinal bars 9integrally connected at their ends by the loops in, these bars beingwelded to the outer sides of the slats l, the welds not being indicated.The longitudinal bars 9 reinforce the slats, that is, they preventbowing thereof and distribute the load to which individual slats may besubjected. The connections H) for these longitudinal bars providerounded surfaces which are r not likely to engage clothing or the-like.

The end walls 2 comprise top bars H and bottom bars l2, the top bars llbeing longer than the bottom bars to support the side walls in outwardlyinclined relation. The top and bottom bars terminate in loop-like eyesI3 pivotally engaging the end members of the side walls closely adjacentthe top and bottom members thereof which serve as thrust memberslimiting the vertical movement of theside and end walls relative to eachother.

The vertical end wall slats M are formed of wire and are welded to theouter sides of the top and bottom bars.

The bottom, designated generally by the numeral I 5, comprises a unitaryborder frame having side members It and. end members IT. The bottomslats I8 are welded upon the side bottom border members I B.

The legs 19 are preferably elongated to serve effectively as runners andare provided with upturned diverging arms 29 terminating in inturnedlugs 2| overlapping and welded to the side wall bottom members 5, thewelds not being illustrated as they would be of the same character asthe welds for the wall and bottom elements. These inturned lugs 2| serveas supports for the bottom, the bottom being swingably secured by links22 to one of the side wall bottom members with the adjacent bordermember of the bottom in superimposed relation to the lugs, therebyswingably supportingthe bottom so that it can be swung into supportedrelation to the lugs at the opposite side. This provides a very securesupport for the bottom enabling it to sustain heavy loads. The bottom isof such dimensions that when the parts are in erected position, as bestshown in Fig. 4, the bottom substantially fits within the side wallspreventing their collapsing.

The corners of the bottom border frame are curved at 23 to clear the endmembers of the side walls while still permitting the effective bracingengagement of the bottom with the walls in erected position. The bottomis further supported in the structure illustrated by the ends of theeyes of the bottom bars of the end walls. With the parts thus arrangedthe bottom may be swung upwardly against the side walls to which it isswingably connected and the walls collapsed on their pivotal connectionswith one pair of side and end walls in substantially parallel relationto the other pair of side and end walls, as is shown in Fig. 5, with thebottom between the collapsed walls. With this arrangement of parts Iprovide a basket which may be formed of relatively light stock and atthe same time is strong and durable. It may be quickly erected and whenerected the parts are supported so as to prevent relative movement andwhen collapsed is quite compact. The load in the basket also acts toprevent accidental collapsing.

I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other adaptations as itis believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art toembody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an elongated tapered collapsible metal basket, the combination ofdownwardly tapered side walls, each comprising a border frame havingintegral top, bottom and end members and spaced vertical slats welded tothe outer sides of the top and bottom members, end walls, eachcomprising top and bottom bars and spaced vertical slats welded to theouter sides thereof, the top bars being longer than the bottom bars, theends of said top and bottom bars being turned inwardly providing eyespivotally embracing the end members of the side walls closely adjacenttheir juncture with the top and bottom members of the side walls, abottom comprising a border frame having integral side and end membersand spaced slats welded to the upper sides of the side members thereof,links swingably connecting one side member of the bottom border frame tothe bottom member of one side wall, and spaced elongated leg membershaving arms at their ends provided with inturned lug portions displosedtransversely of and overlapping and welded upon the bottom members ofthe side walls and projecting inwardly therefrom to constitute supportsfor supportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bottom whenthe basket is erected, said links retaining said swingably connectedside members of the bottom border frame against displacement from saidlugs, said bottom being of such dimensions as to supportingly fit withinthe side end walls when they are erected, the corners of the bottomborder frame being curved to clear the end members of the side wallframes.

2. In an elongated tapered collapsible metal basket, the combination ofside walls, each comprising a border frame having integral top, bottomand end members and end walls, each comprising top and bottom bars, theends of said top and bottom bars being turned inwardly providin eyespivotally embracing the end members of the side walls, a bottomcomprising a border frame having integral side and end members, linksswingably connecting one side member of the bottom border frame to thebottom member of one side wall, and spaced elongated leg members havingarms at their ends provided with inturned lug portions disposedtransversely of and overlapping and welded upon the bottom members ofthe side walls and projecting inwardly therefrom to constitute supportsfor supportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bottom whenthe basket is erected, said links retaining said swingably connectedside members of the bottom border frame against displacement from saidlugs, said bottom being of such dimensions as to supportingly engage theside and end walls when they are erected.

3. In a collapsible basket, the combination of side walls, eachcomprising a border frame having integral top, bottom and end membersand spaced vertical slats welded to the outer sides of the top andbottom members and vertically spaced longitudinal slats welded to theouter sides of the vertical slats, end walls, each comprising top andbottom bars and spaced vertical slats welded to the outer sides thereof,the ends of said top and bottom bars being turned inwardly providingeyes pivot-ally embracing the end members of the side walls closelyadjacent their juncture with the top and bottom members of the sidewalls which constitute end thrust members therefor, a bottom comprisinga border frame having integral side and end members and spaced slatswelded to the upper sides of the side members thereof, links swingablyconnecting one side member of the bottom border frame to the bottommember of one side wall, and spaced elongated leg members constitutingrunners and having upwardly diverging arms at their ends provided withinturned lug portions disposed transversely of and overlapping andwelded upon the bottom members of the side walls and constituting bottomsupports supportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bottomborder frame when the basket is erected, said links retaining saidswingably connected side members of the bottom border frame againstdisplacement from said lugs, said bottom being of such dimensions as tosupportingly engage the side and end walls when they are erected.

4. In a collapsible basket, the combination of side walls, eachcomprising a border frame having integral top, bottom and end membersand spaced vertical slats welded to the outer sides of the top andbottom members and vertically spaced longitudinal slats welded to theouter sides of the vertical slats, end walls, each comprising top andbottom bars and spaced vertical slats welded to the outer sides thereof,the ends of said top and bottom bars being turned inwardly providingeyes pivotally embracing the end members of the side walls closelyadjacent their juncture with the top and bottom members of the sidewalls which constitute end thrust members therefor, a bottom comprisinga border frame having integral side and end members and spaced slatswelded to the upper sides of the side members thereof, links swingablyconnecting one side member of the bottom border frame to the bottommember of one side wall, and leg members provided with inturned lugportions disposed transversely of and overlapping and welded upon thebottom members of the side walls and constituting bottom supportssupportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bottom borderframe when the basket is erected, said bottom being of such dimensionsas to supportingly engage the side and end walls when they are erected.

5. In acollapsible basket, the combination of side walls, eachcomprising a border frame having integral top, bottom and end membersand spaced slats, end walls, each comprising top and bottom bars, theends of said top and bottom bars having eyes pivctally embracing the endmembers of the side walls, a bottom comprising a border frame havingintegral side and end members and spaced slats, links swingablyconnecting one side member of the bottom border frame to the bottommember of one side wall, and spaced elongated leg members constitutingrunners and having upwardly diverging arms at their ends provided withinturned lug portions disposed transversely of and overlapping andwelded upon the bottom members of the side walls and constituting bottomsupports supportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bot tomborder frame when the basket is erected, said bottom being of suchdimensions as to supportingly engage the side and end walls when theyare erected.

6. In a collapsible basket, the combination of downwardly tapered sidewalls, each comprising a unitary border frame having top, bottom and endmembers, and slats fixedly secured to the top and bottom members, endwalls, each comprising top and bottom bars and spaced slats fixedlysecured thereto, the top bars being longer than the bottom bars, theends of the top and bottom bars being conformed into loops pivotallyembracing the end members of the side walls with the top and bottommembers of the side walls limiting the relative vertical movementthereof, a bottom comprising a border frame having unitary side and endmembers and slats fixedly secured to the border frame, leg membershaving inturned lug portions at their upper ends disposed transverselyof and fixedly secured to the bottom members of the side walls, saidlugs constituting bottom supports supportingly engaging the oppositeside members of the bottom border frame, and links swingably connectingone side member of the bottom border frame to the corresponding sidemember of one side wall, the bottom being of such dimensions as topermit swinging thereof within the side and end walls when they areerected and supportingly engaging the walls when the bottom is erectedpreventing collapsing thereof.

7. In a collapsible basket, the combination of side walls, eachcomprising a unitary border frame having top, bottom and end members,end walls, each comprising top and bottom bars, the ends of the top andbottom bars being conformed into loops pivotally embracing the endmembers of the side walls, a bottom comprising a border frame havingunitary side and end members, leg members having inturned lug portionsat their uper ends disposed transversely of and fixedly secured to thebottom members of the side walls, said lugs constituting bottom suportssupportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bottom borderframe, and links swingably connecting one side member of the bottomborder frame to the corresponding side member of one side wall, thebottom being of such dimensions as to permit swinging thereof within theside and end walls when they are erected and supportingly engaging thewalls when the bottom is erected preventing collapsing thereof.

8. In a collapsible basket, the combination of side walls, eachcomprising a unitary border frame having top, bottom and end members,end walls, each comprising top and bottom bars, the ends of the top andbottom bars being conformed into loops pivotally embracing the endmembers of the side walls, a'bottom comprising a border frame havingunitary side and end members, leg members having inturned lug portionsat their upper ends disposed transversely of and fixedly secured to thebottom members of the side walls and constituting bottom supportssupportingly engaging the opposite side members of the bottom borderframe, and means swingably connecting one side member of the bottomborder frame to the corresponding side member of one side wall with thebottom frame side member above the adjacent lugs, the bottom being ofsuch dimensions as to permit swinging thereof within the side and endwalls when they are erected and supportingly engaging the walls when thebottom is erected preventing collapsing thereof.

9. In a collapsible basket, the combination of pairs of opposed sidewalls, said side walls at the ends thereof being pivotally connected toeach other to permit collapse of the basket, one pair of opposed sidewalls including opposed bottom frame members, elongated leg membersconstituting runners and having upwardly projecting arms at their ends,the arms of one of said runners being fixedly secured to one of saidopposed side wall bottom frame members, the arms of another runnerhaving inwardly projecting lug portions at the upper ends thereofdisposed transversely of and fixedly secured to the other of the opposedside wall bottom frame members, and a bottom having a swingableconnection at one side thereof with said first mentioned opposed sidewall bottom frame member, said bottom on the opposite side thereof beingsupportingly engaged by said inwardly projecting lugs when the basket iserected, the bottom being of such dimensions as to permit swingingthereof within the side walls when erected and supportingly engaging theside walls when the bottom is erected to prevent collapseof the sidewalls.

CHARLES C. AVERILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,129,011 Pyle Feb. 16, 19151,274,800 Sketteno Aug. 6, 1918 1,731,841 Burson Oct. 15, 1929 1,833,857Reese Nov. 24, 1931 1,890,983 Griflith Dec. 13, 1932 1,939,504 Lee Dec.12, 1933 2,438,030 Bitney Mar. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 392,779 France Dec. 4, 1908 283,952 Germany Apr. 29, 1915 114,350Great Britain Apr. 4, 1918 308,424 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1929

